A.J.M. Smith was a professor at Michigan State University until 1972. Upon his retirement, the university created an award in his name, which is given away annually to honour a noteworthy book by a Canadian poet.
Michael Gnarowski co-edited The Making of Modern Poetry in Canada, compiled The Concise Bibliography of English Canadian Literature, and edited the Critical Views on Canadian Writers series for McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Gnarowski is professor emeritus at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Charles G.D Roberts (1860-1943) was a poet and prose writer. After a childhood in New Brunswick, he became a heralded poet who later turned to fiction, writing an extensive series of animal stories and pioneering a genre that remains popular today. His works include Eyes of the Wilderness, The Vagrant of Time, and Earth's Enigmas. Roberts spent the last years of his life in Toronto, where he died.
James Polk has written on animal story writers in articles, reviews, and a book, Wilderness Writers. He was publishing policy adviser in the Ontario government and is the author of a novel, short stories, and a play. He lives in Toronto.
